


Brahm's Babble

by clotpolesonly



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Massage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24936628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clotpolesonly/pseuds/clotpolesonly
Summary: “I’m so glad we’re doing this, babe,” he says to the floor. “Best engagement presentever.Melissa wins, hands down. Even Erica can't bitch about it. Everybody agrees that nothing tops an all-expenses-paid retreat, complete with couple’s massage! Super relaxinganda bonding experience, am I right?”Derek doesn’t respond, which is a little unusual.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 37
Kudos: 343
Collections: Eternal Sterek Discord Writing Events





	Brahm's Babble

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvanesDust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvanesDust/gifts).



> for the second round of ES's drabble (but actually ficlet) challenge!! twas on the topic of "relaxation" and with the specific prompt of "couples massage"
> 
> shoutout to Thumper for (yet again) providing me with a clever pithy title XD

Stiles wriggles under the masseuse’s strong hands. She only huffs a little bit, too professional to complain out loud about his inability to sit still, and presses harder into that big muscle along his spine. It hurts like a bitch, but in a weirdly good way that makes him feel all liquid and loose.

“Ooh, right there! Yeah, that’s _nice._ Isn’t that nice, Der?”

Derek mumbles something in return from across the room. The weird face-hole-pillow-thing makes it hard to understand, but that’s okay. This is supposed to be about _relaxing,_ not about chatting.

It just so happens that Stiles finds chatting relaxing, though.

“I’m so glad we’re doing this, babe,” he says to the floor. “Best engagement present _ever._ Melissa wins, hands down. Even Erica can't bitch about it. Everybody agrees that nothing tops an all-expenses-paid retreat, complete with couple’s massage! Super relaxing _and_ a bonding experience, am I right?”

The masseuse’s hands migrate into the small of Stiles’ back and punch a groan out of him. God, who knew he held so much tension in the lumbar region? Maybe he should get a more ergonomic desk chair when they close on the new house. He can give his old one to Liam; werewolves have magic un-hurt-able backs and don’t _need_ ergonomic chairs.

He says as much out loud. Derek doesn’t respond, which is a little unusual. Derek rarely misses an opportunity to voice his exasperation over Stiles deliberately misunderstanding how werewolf healing works.

It’s a struggle to engage his sore and noodly muscles, but Stiles manages to hoist himself up enough to free his face from the face-holder thing. Derek is right where he was when Stiles had lain down, spread out tantalizingly on the second massage table in the room with all those glorious back muscles on display. The masseur with the happy job of getting all up _on_ that is going about his work, unconcerned.

“Derek?” Stiles says. “Babe?”

No response. A smile makes its way onto Stiles’ face as he realizes that Derek is asleep. Right there, in a public place, mostly naked and with a total stranger’s hands on him— _asleep._ There was a time when Derek could barely sleep in his own loft, much less in an unsecured location with potential threats nearby. For a heart-clenching moment, Stiles is so proud, he feels like he might cry. _So fucking proud_ of how far Derek has come and how much he's healed.

He closes his mouth and swallows his usual commentary; Derek deserves quiet for his nap.

It's only a few minutes, though, before Derek stirs. He blinks blearily around and says, "Stiles?"

"I'm here."

Derek frowns, eyes already closing again. "You stopped talking."

It's a complaint. Derek _likes_ his rambling. Derek feels _safer_ when he knows Stiles is near, and noticed, even asleep, when his voice went away.

Stiles has never felt so loved.

He stretches across the space between their tables to take Derek's hand.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere."

**Author's Note:**

> [rebloggable on tumblr!](https://clotpolesonly.tumblr.com/post/622037155767877633/brahms-babble)


End file.
